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Ref Review: Chelsea wronged for fifth time this season

Date published: Monday 9th November 2015 3:07

Chelsea were the only team to have a major decision go against them in the Premier League at the weekend, according to our Ref Review panel.

Refereeing decisions are regularly the source of debate among fans, pundits, players and managers so this season a five-strong TEAMtalk panel will be passing judgement on every red card (or avoidance of one), every penalty and any other major incident every weekend.

We’ll also keep a tally of the major decisions to go for and against each team in an attempt to settle the never-ending debate about whether certain clubs are favoured more than others by Premier League referees.

Week 12

Leicester City penalty v Watford: There was little doubt about the first penalty awarded at the King Power Stadium when Heurelho Gomes rushed out of his goal and brought down Jamie Vardy. Given the direction the Leicester striker was headed in, it was also the right decision only to show Gomes a yellow card. Verdict: Correct decision

Watford penalty v Leicester City: Referee Roger East was given another simple decision to make later in the game when Ngolo Kante tripped up Juan Carlos Paredes inside the box. Verdict: Correct decision

Manchester United penalty v West Brom: There was another stonewall penalty awarded at Old Trafford, where Mike Dean pointed to the spot after Gareth McAuley felled Anthony Martial as he raced clear. He was also correctly shown a straight red card. Verdict: Correct decision

Southampton penalty v Sunderland: The theme continued at the Stadium of Light, where Yann M’Vila left referee Mike Jones with no alternative but to point to the spot after he needlessly felled Ryan Bertrand. Verdict: Correct decision

James McCarthy avoiding red card v West Ham: It was suggested that McCarthy could have been shown a straight red card for a scissor tackle from behind on Payet, but nobody on our panel could argue with referee Paul Tierney decision to show only a yellow. Verdict: Correct decision

Chelsea penalty appeal v Stoke City: This was perhaps the most interesting claim of the weekend. With Loic Remy through on goal, Jack Butland raced out to collect but was beaten to the ball by the Chelsea striker, who knocked the ball past him and hurdled the challenge. No contact was made between the pair, but Remy’s evasive action saw him stumble as he attempted to shoot. Had Remy not jumped and been clattered this would have been another straightforward decision, but all on the panel could understand why referee Anthony Taylor did not award a penalty in the circumstances. However, Remy was still impeded and should not have been punished because he tried to score. Verdict: Incorrect decision

Manchester City penalty appeal v Aston Villa: Raheem Sterling appealed for a penalty after cutting on to his right foot and going down under a challenge from Ciaran Clark, but any contact – and it was only minimal – was engineered by the Manchester City winger. Verdict: Correct decision